Dispenser for soap

ABSTRACT

A dispenser for soap, foamed soap, or the like, contains a housing having a bottom with an outlet opening disposed at the bottom. The dispenser is characterized by a ring, which can be illuminated and is provided around the outlet opening as a positioning aid for the hand during the dispensing of soap.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation application, under 35 U.S.C. §120, of copending international application No. PCT/AT2009/000114, filed Mar. 18, 2009, which designated the United States; this application also claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119, of Austrian patent application No. A 702/2008, filed May 5, 2008; the prior applications are herewith incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a dispenser for soap, foam soap or the like, having an outlet opening on the underside. Such a dispenser is described, for example, in international patent disclosure WO 96/29921.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,822 shows a soap dispenser whose housing has a cylindrical chamber which is open to the front and into which the hand to be washed can be inserted. The latter is detected by an infrared sensor and a portion of soap is dispensed into the hand under the outlet nozzle by a motor-operated pump. The cylindrical chamber is made of a transparent light-conducting material and its base is illuminated from below, as a result of which the edge of the insertion opening for the hand appears as an illuminated ring.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a dispenser for soap which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type.

With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention a dispenser for soap or foam soap. The dispenser contains a housing having an underside with an outlet opening and an illuminable ring disposed around the outlet opening as a positioning aid for a hand when dispensing the soap.

In the case of a dispenser of the type mentioned at the outset, the invention proposes an illuminable ring around the outlet opening on the underside as a positioning aid for the hand when dispensing the soap, which ring can preferably also be used as an operating state display or as a display for servicing measures which are due. For this preferred use, provision may be made for the ring to be able to be illuminated in at least two different colors.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a dispenser for soap, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The single figure of the drawing is a diagrammatic, bottom perspective view of a dispenser according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referrring now to the single figure of the drawing, there is shown a dispenser that has a mostly elongate housing 1 for suspended mounting close to a washbasin or the like, an outlet opening 2, through which a portion of soap, foam soap or the like can be dispensed, being provided on the underside of the housing close to the front edge. Operation can be effected in any desired manner; it is irrelevant to the invention whether operation is effected contactlessly by virtue of the hand approaching a sensor or by operating a lever, a pushbutton or the like. The outlet opening 2 is surrounded by an illuminable ring 3 which facilitates the positioning of the hand, since the opening cannot be directly seen from the usual position and stance of a user. The ring 3 is therefore arranged, in particular, on the edge of the underside of the housing, such that the illumination can also be seen obliquely from above.

The ring can be illuminated in at least two different colors and can thus form an operating state display (for example green) or a display for servicing measures (for example red), for example the need for refilling or the need to replace the batteries. 

1. A dispenser for soap or foam soap, the dispenser comprising: a housing having an underside with an outlet opening formed therein; and an illuminable ring disposed around said outlet opening as a positioning aid for a hand when dispensing the soap.
 2. The dispenser according to in claim 1, wherein said illuminable ring can be illuminated in at least two different colors. 